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ON THE PRINSENDAM TO ST. MALO, FRANCE
Seven days on sea from Hamilton, Bermuda to St. Malo, France may seem like a long time, but the activities on board and the companionship of new acquaintances and friends along with well planned activities and entertainment make everything smooth and easy. St. Malo is on the English Channel and dates from the sixth century. It is the home of Jacques Cartier and others. It was also home to many privateers.
When we went ashore this morning, everything was fouled up for a while because of the weather, but, after a delay of greater than an hour, transfer to shore on tenders went OK and I got on my scheduled bus. The adventure began. My first stop was Dinan, an amazing village with buildings dating back to the 1500’s. The cobblestone, narrow streets didn’t stop traffic, but the locals seemed to be patient with the tourists walking through the town. The town really has all the signs of antiquity that can’t be experienced in the USA. I saw the ramparts and the Basilica Saint Sauveur, very impressive!
Back on the bus, I headed to Dinard, another old, historic town with special
ties to Great Britain because of, among other things, a tie to the British film industry and many British immigrants have property there. Because of the new high speed trains from Paris to this beautiful part of France, property values are increasing. The Casino Beach area was a photo stop and is very nice.
I was anchored in St. Malo and returned there after a very good experience on the tour. The historic St. Malo is within the ramparts of the walled city and is very well restored from World War II damage. I visited the Cathedral of Saint Vincent, noted for it’s pretty stained glass windows. There are a lot of Celtic influences in the area. Then I took the tender back to the ship and began preparing for a big touring day tomorrow, but noticing the effects of the very low tide on the private boats located in the harbor. The tides in the harbor have the second most extreme variations between low and hard tides in the world.
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Rick Windsor
non-member comment
Hi from the Cascades
Hi Chuck, Looks and sounds like you are having a great time. Enjoyed the pictures and your comments. All is well here although getting warmer each day. Had a very nice time at the Memorial Day BBQ at the clubhouse-a great turn out. Take care and see you soon. Rick